Orders of the Day — Coal Industry Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 7:01 pm on 12 December 1983.

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Photo of Mr Ted Rowlands Mr Ted Rowlands , Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney 7:01, 12 December 1983

That matter is as relevant now as it ever was as the then Minister has returned to the stage in the guise of a Treasury Minister advocating more such failures.

It emerged in Committee that the NCB has been instructed by the Government to set a £10 million target for next year and, presumably, for successive years in preparation for privatisation. During the fifth sitting, we asked the Minister to give us some assurances. I hope that my hon. Friends will confirm this. The Minister gave us an assurance that there was no likelihood or prospect of privatising either deep mines or open-cast production in the lifetime of the Government. No other interpretation can be placed on the Minister's words.